Author Archives: TheAuthor

Bloodline by Claudia Gray

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Very much enjoyed this one.  Like Lost Stars, it wasn’t horribly action-exciting, but didn’t once lose my attention.  Despite there not being a lot of action, it didn’t feel slow at all.  It was very interesting seeing the politics of the New Republic, which we got none of in the movie.  I enjoyed the characters as well, both the new ones and the known ones.  The characters brought in from the movies felt true and I liked seeing them in another time and position.

The writing was very much the same as Lost Stars.  Some of the style I still don’t prefer, but it worked.  It’s well done, just not how I like.  But it didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all.  I don’t really have much else to say, as I was too invested in reading it to put much effort into analyzing it.  That in itself is a good sign that it is a good read.

Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

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I definitely enjoyed this one.  Early on I had some issues with how it was written, but that disappeared as I kept reading.  I felt that the writing was geared more toward a young audience (despite the story feeling geared toward a slightly older audience), that it was dumbed down.  It stated the obvious.  It used italics and such in the way I did when I first started out writing, but have come to dislike.  But as I kept reading, I didn’t really notice it as much.  It could be that there as an actual change in the writing as the characters aged, or I could have gotten so invested in the story that I stopped noticing.  The latter is certainly believable.

The story was not overly exciting for most of it, but it definitely kept me enthralled.  I very much enjoy reading Star Wars stories and seeing the events of the movies from different angles.  It was nice to see different perspectives and the events between and beyond what we see in the movies.  I am still disappointed with the discarding of the EU, but I am also excited to keep up with these new stories.  The characters and plot were fairly predictable (partially because it ran parallel to the movies until the end), but not so much that it wasn’t interesting. 

Between that interest and my excess of downtime, this was about the fastest I have read a book in a long time.  Definitely recommended for all Star Wars fans.

EDDA by Conor Kostick

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This one was alright.  Not as good as the first of the series, but alright.  The story was fairly interesting, but nothing too amazing.  The danger didn’t feel very real for most of the story.  Magic, as usual, is cheap and overpowered.  I also didn’t really feel as invested in the characters this time, especially the returning ones.  I’ve kind of grown bored of them and they didn’t really develop much more in this one.

The writing itself was similar to the other two in the series, nothing remarkable.  He repeated things that didn’t need repeating fairly often and sometimes told what he had already spent a few sentences showing, ruining the effect.  He also gravitates more toward saying things explicitly, rather than leaving us to infer, which sometimes makes me feel like he thinks I’m stupid.  Which would be okay for a young age group, which is who most of it is written for, but then he has a habit of using unnecessarily intelligent words.  I had to use the dictionary a few times and I am older than his target audience and read the dictionary for fun.  Again, this isn’t always a bad thing if the word is the best choice, but there were times when a more common word would have worked just as well.

Overall, I’m glad I’m done.  The series started off well and immediately went downhill, as so many do.  I am debating whether I want to read his other book or not.  I definitely will be reading others before it if I do.

Captain America: Civil War

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I was very excited for this movie and was not disappointed.  Was very true to the other Avengers films.  Lots of action and a good story.  I like the conflict within the team and their different opinions on how they should be run.  I like the trend of superhero movies questioning the power of the superheroes and people thinking they need to be controlled.  The destruction they cause is finally being addressed in what I believe is an excellent way.

Throughout the movie I was never bored and never lost track of the storyline.  The actors did as fantastic as always and the new additions were great.  I am now even more eager for the Black Panther movie and no longer have my doubts about the new Spider-man. 

Basically if you are a fan of the Avengers movies, then you will love this one.  If not, you are crazy and beyond saving.  And if you’ve never seen one, I recommend moving out from under that rock.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

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An interesting read.  Definitely a brain workout trying to understand all the science and relativity and whatnot.  Much of it was fascinating.  The technology and the military and the science was very intriguing.  His vision of how society would change was interesting. 

The story itself was pretty good.  I felt slightly detached for a lot of it, but not too bad, and the science did distract from the plot a little, but was enjoyable in itself.  It covered a long period of time without a lot of really exciting stuff happening.  That’s not a bad thing necessarily, I just tend to prefer short time lines that drop you right into the action and really show a lot of detail of said action.  But for the story being told, this was probably the best way it could have been written. 

His style I did like.  It felt fairly informal, but also very intelligent and well-written.  He fused the protagonist’s thoughts seamlessly into the narration in just the way I like.  It was a fairly quick read, aside from when you’re trying to grasp the scientific concepts, but didn’t feel dumbed down like a lot of the more recent quicker reads.

Overall, I enjoyed it.  Not my favorite book and probably won’t make it onto my “reread shelf,” but I am glad I read it.

Lexicon by Max Barry

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I really enjoyed this one.  At first I was a little annoyed by the inconsistent jumps in POV and time, but that disappeared quickly.  I was never lost and my enjoyment did not diminish because of this, just the opposite in fact.  I loved his style as well.  It was different than what I usually read; it felt more informal, which I really enjoyed.  The idea behind the story is fascinating.  I don’t want to give away too much, but they way it views words and the brain and the idea of this “magic” is amazing.  The story itself was great as well.  I read it much faster than I have been reading lately and didn’t want to put it down.  Barry does a wonderful job of keeping you guessing and in suspense.  I did feel the ending fell short a little bit, but maybe I’m just too picky, as there hasn’t really been a book or movie I’ve been satisfied with the ending of lately. 

Overall I would definitely recommend this book.  It is very intelligent and gripping.  I will definitely be adding other works by Max Barry to my list of books to read.

The Monster That Controls Me

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This is the second of the two poems I’ve written recently. Be sure to read the first here

 
 

The Monster That Controls Me

I am not the monster that controls me.
I am the defeated the world has not seen.
He whispers to me that I am steady
While ripping me apart before I’m ready.
He tells me I don’t need a team,
But doing this alone feels like a dream.

The smile on my face is a beast of its own,
I cannot control it, it sits on a throne.
Everything I say comes with the wrong tone,
What should be a shout instead is a groan.

I am the knight in shining armor
Who waits for his damsel, who doesn’t know her,
To save him from his dragons, who treat him unsure
And put him on down like a mad cur.

When will someone see
That a monster controls me?
There is a door, but I am without key.
When will someone come and let me be free?

The Man Asked For

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This is first of two poems I’ve been working on over the last couple of days.  Be sure to read the second here
 

I’m banging on the glass to catch your eye.
Or am I just curled up on the floor?
I beg for you to hear me cry.
Or am I just talking to the door?
Raging within, a storm and a fire,
Somehow a secret hidden by the liar.

Sick of who I’ve been before,
Why can’t I be the man asked for?
A man without fear,
A lover with heart so clear.
Of me, all I plead
Is to open my book for all to read.
How do I get my heart tattooed to my sleeve?

A million words inside do swarm
To come out their only form
Is a disguising drip, a uniform.
Can someone less alone
Show me how my top might be blown
And the words flood out like a cyclone?

10 Cloverfield Lane

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This was actually a really good movie. I wasn’t real sure on how much I was going to like it, but I really did. It had a tiny cast and a tiny setting, but still managed to be an intense and emotional film. Very suspenseful throughout, and yet there was no clear and present danger for almost the entire movie. I wasn’t sure if this would be one of those movies where the main character dies and I was waiting for it to happen. The actors did a great job, all three of them. The characters were unique and decently strong. The plot was one of the simplest I’ve seen, but it still managed to hold me the entire time. In a lot of movies there are times that I look around and fall out of interest and remember that I’m in a movie theater, that didn’t really happen with this one. I was entrapped the whole time. I will hopefully be seeing this one again sometime soon.

Saga by Conor Kostick

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Pretty good.  Not my favorite, but pretty good.  A good follow-up to EPIC.  It had an interesting premise and characters.  There were some improvements made from EPIC, namely in the POV department.  He took it to a whole new level, but executed it well.  The changes felt more regular and better prepared than in the first book.  They were a little confusing at first, but once I got used to them, they definitely added to the story.  The writing itself was just about the same as the first book, not perfect but pretty good.  He was a little inconsistent at times; there were a couple of times I noticed he referred to a character by his full name, then a little later by his shortened nickname and back again.  It didn’t take away from my understanding of the book at all, but it felt wrong.

In terms of story, I was a little disappointed.  It started out kinda slow and took a long time to get going.  There was very little at first that would hint at where it was going.  It just seemed to be pulling itself along with no goal.  Eventually the goal became clear, but the story didn’t really speed up until the last few chapters.  Even then, the sense of danger and fear of failure never really came.  Maybe I’m just too picky, but I’m adding this one to my pile of stories that I feel have low stakes, low danger and a disappointing climax.  But I still enjoyed it.  Mostly.  Not quite as much as EPIC.  Probably won’t be reading it again.